Electric flasher switch mechanism



July 10, 1928. 1,676,850

C. H. BISSELL ELECTRIC FLASHER SWITCH MECHANISM Filed Feb. 26. 1925 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Twl. G

. I N VEN TOR.

i %//7 B Y A TTORNEY5 July 10, 1928.

C. H. BISSELL ELECTRIC FLASHER SWIT CH MECHANISM 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 26, 1925 INVENTOR.

A TTORNEY5 July 10, 1928.

C. H. BISSELL ELECTRIC FLASHER SWITCH MECHANISM Filed Feb. 26, 1925 5 Sheets-Sheet INVENTOR. $4M

A T-TORNEYS Patented July 10, 1928.

UNETED STATES,

. A re ease PATENT OFFICE.

cam. n. BISSELL, or SYRACUSE, NEW Yonx, assrenon 'ro CRoU'sE-HmnS Comm,

or SYRACUSE, NEW Yonx,

A coaroaa'rron '01 NEW YORK.

E ECTRIC FLASHEB 'swrron mnCHAnrsm This invention relates to an electric flasher, and has for its object a rotary switch mechanism and motor therefor, which is particu-.

larly simple and economical in construction,

had to the accompanying drawings in which like characters designate corresponding parts in all the views. v 0

Figure 1 is an elevation of this flasher, the casing a portion of the rotor of the motor being broken awayI Fi ure 2 is a plan View of the flasher, the

case ing removed.

Figure 4: isa sectional view on line 4- 11,

' Fig. 2.

- Figure 5 is a detail sectional view on line 5-5, Fig. 2.

- figure 6 is a fragmentary inverted plan view of the base.

. This electric flasher comprises generally a. unit consisting of a motor of the disk type,

and a rotatable electric switch connected to the disk. The flasher in its entirety, comprise's a base of insulation, a secondary base mounted on the former base and supporting the motor and the switch mechanism, and a cap or cover resting on and enclosing the base of'insulation.

1 designates the base of insulation which is mountable upon any suitable support as the base of .aniautomatic trafiic signal or socalled silent policeman."

2 designates the secondary base, this being mounted upon the base 1 and secured thereto in any suitable manner. The base is of any suitable form, size, and CODStI'QCUOIL 3 designates the magnet of an induction disk motor, and 4 the coils thereof, the mag net 3 being mounted flatwise on the base 2 and secured thereto in any suitable manner as by screws 5. p

6 is the disk forming part of the rotor of the motor, this disk being mounted on a shaft 7, suitably supported in bearings 8 rovided in uprights 9 on the base 2, the earin s 8 being here shown as threading throng the uprights 9 and formed with conical sockets for receiving the conical ends Application filed February26, 1925'. Serial No. 11.738. I

being partly broken away, and also Figure 3 is an elevation looking to theright in Fig. 2.

10 of the motor shaft 7 The disk 6 is arranged with a portion thereof on one side of its axis moving between the".poles of the magnet 3.

The switch mechanismbomprises a rotary switch member, in contra-distinction to an oscillating switch member, connected to the rotor or the motor shaft 7 lto be actuated thereby. The switch member includes a receptacle partly filled witha fluid conductor,

as mercury, a pair of terminals carried by the receptacle and arranged to move into and out of the mercur during rotation, of the receptacle, and Con actors including wires connected to the pair respectively'and to other parts which rotate with the receptacle and with which coact brushes connected in the circuit controlled by the switch.

The construction is such that the wires or conductors connected to the pair of terminals do. not have any flexing or twisting strain, as in oscillating mercury switches.

11 designates the receptacle-which is an annular glass tube, and 12' the mercury or 16 journalled in a similar upright, these uprights being provided with bearings for the sections-15, 16, similar to the bearings 8 for the shaft '1. The bearing for the section 15 is insulatedfrom the upright by a bushing-17. As here shown one section of the 'shaft, as the section 15, is

formed with an enlargement 18 having 'a bushing 19 of insulation therein, and.- the inner end of the section -16-has' a bearing in such bushin of insulation. The sections 15, 16, are coupiiad together by means'of a metallic disk 20 on the section '16 and fix'ed thereto to rotatetherewith and an annular flange 21 1 on the bushing 19, the flange-abutting against the disk 20, and the disk 20 being secured thereto as by screws 22. The annular rece tacle is carried by the disk 20 concentric with the-shaft sections 15 and 16, and is here shown as secured to the disk 20 by clamping means as clips 23 secured to the disk 20, an

hooking arpundthe receptaclell. A suitable washer .of felt or any other cushioning material 24 is inserted between the receptacle 11andthedisk20." w

A pair of terminals are located at spaced apart points in the wall of the receptacle 3 in :order to be submerged in the mercury during the rotation of the receptacle so that the circuit is closed across these terminals when both are-submerged in the mercury.

'25 and 26 designate the terminals of a pair of terminals carried by the receptacle 11, andextending onto the interior thereof in order to dip into and out of the mercury during the rotation of the receptacle. Preferably there are two pairs of terminals 25, 26, located diametrically opposite each other. It

will be evident that but one pair of tar minals are submerged at any one time.

27 .is a terminal in the. form of adisk on the shaft section 15, and 28 is a similar terminal on the shaft s'ection 16. I

29 and 30 are brushes coactingwith said terminals 27, 28, respectively, and connected coacting disk terminal 27. One arm of the brush is bifurcated to straddle the shaftsection 15 and bear 'on thedisk terminal 27 on opposite sides of the-shaft section 15. The

. bearing to which the brush 29 is connected is provided 'with a binding device 31 at'its outer'end for connection to the line wire 32. The brush 30 is in the form 'of bifurcated fiat spring carried by the upright 17, for pressing against the disk terminal 28.

This brush 30 is grounded through the base.2 to the line wire 33. Each terminal 25 of the pair of terminals 25, 26, is'connected by a wire 34 to a binding device '35 -on the shaft section 15 and each terminal 26 is connected by. a .wire 36 to a binding screw 37 on the disk 20, so that, each-terminal 25 is in circuit with the. disk terminal 27, and

each terminal 26 is in circuit with the disk terminal 28 and brush 30 through the disk 20 and shaft section 16. a

When both terminals 25, 2( 3,'of either pair are submerged in the mercury, the circuit from the brush 29 to the brush 30 is closed and the lamp or lamps connected in circuit with the wires 32, 33, are flashed. The wire 33 is connected to a binding device 39 o the bottom-of the base 1. The binding evice '31 is also connected to. another binding device40. on the bottom of the base 1 by the wire 32, and the service'and load circuit wires are connected to the binding devices 39 and-40. p

Theopposite ends of the coils 4 of the magnet are connected respectively to the binding device 39 and. a binding device 41- which is connected in the feed circuit. Also the binding device'el-may be connected in aload circuit containing a light that is permanently illuminated and not flashed.

The switchand motor mechanism is enclosed in a case orcap 42 resting at43 on the margin of the base 1 and having a skirt 44' enclosing the base 1, this skirt having an opening 45 for the circuit wires.

For the purpose of oiling the antifriction conical bearings of the motor and switch shafts a .pad saturated with oilis mounted on the base 2','the.oilvapor from this pad serving to lubricate the bearings.

In operation when the circuit is closed through the 'feedwires by a suitable manually operated switch, the motor rotates and in turn rotates ortumbles the switch membcr or. the receptacle l1 continuously in one direction, thus alternately openinga'nd closing the load circuit and causing the lamp or lampsto flash at regular intervals.

WVhat I claim is I. An electric flasher 'comprisinga rotatable switch member including an annular receptacle of insulation having a fluid conductor partly filling the same, ,means for rotating" the switch member, a pair of terminals exposed in the receptacle, wires connected at like ends to the terminals respectively and at their other ends to conductors rotatable with the switch members, the wlres being rotatable with the switch mem- -ber and brushes coacting with the conductors of the switch member.

2. A rotary electric switch comprising a shaft composed of two sections insulated from each other,a carrier mounted on one of the sections, an'annular receptacle for a fluid conductor supported by the carrier, 8. pair of terminals mounted in the receptacle, wires connecting the terminals respectively and the shaft sections and brushes coacting with the sections respectively.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto s1 ned my name, at Syracuse, in the county 0 -Onondaga and in the State of New York, this 9th day of February, 1925.

CARL HI BISSELL. 

